How Tall Should you be to Play NCAA Football

Big Impact Comes in Small Packages

When football fans and analysts talk about “short” players, they often draw upon NFL greats such as Doug Flutie and Darren Sproles. While both are celebrated athletes, their success on the field is commonly framed as impressive “for their size.” In reality, athletes with lower centers of gravity have a huge advantage in contact sports. It may sound cliché but in football, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” In fact, even “recruiting services” will tell college football prospects that you should be at least a certain height to play at a certain position.

In researching these exceptional athletes, I found that programs unwilling to recruit athletes shorter or lighter than their rigid standards are often the ones who have suffered losing records year after year. However, consistent powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia and Clemson, and even some teams on the rise like FAU, UCF, South Carolina, and Miami utilize offensive and defensive weapons under 5’10 for their punch and agility.

In my experience speaking with both NFL and CFB players under 5'10, they are often confused by various heights they are listed as by different teams and sports reports. For whatever reason, coaches, athletic directors, communications directors, and sports reporters feel the need to add an inch or two when listing players under 6-foot. The truth is there is a huge advantage to having a smaller frame or being closer to the ground and it is absolutely ridiculous that anybody feels the need to do this.

The list below is made up some the top performers in the entire FBS division that are listed under 5'10. Some might be under the radar now because of their size, but very well could be on their way to being first round picks and future NFL sleepers.

College Football Now list FAU's running back unit as the country's 10th best

PFF College noted that Singletary finished 2017 No. 2 nationally in missed tackles forced on carries last season and No. 2 in total breakaway yards among returning FBS running backs with 917 total yards gained on breakaway runs (15+ yard runs)

Sporting News lists Singletary as the No. 5 running back in 2018's preseason

Holds a national ranking as the country's 35th best player by CFB Now

Ranked No. 37 by Sports Illustrated

50th Best Player ranked by ESPN

Doak Walker Watch List

Maxwell Watch List

Walter Camp Watch List

RB J.J. Taylor (Arizona) - 5’6, 180

2017 Sophomore Season

Named Pac-12 Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year

Second on the team and top among running backs with 828 rushing yards in regular season … Totaled seven touchdowns, including five rushing and two receiving

462 yards on 58 carries in last five regular season games (92.4 yards per game and 8.0 yards per carry)

74 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown, plus hauled in one pass for five yards at Arizona State (Nov. 25)

Gained 55 rushing yards on 10 attempts along with an eight-yard reception at Oregon (Nov. 18)

Posted 129 yards on only 10 attempts in victory over Oregon State (Nov. 11).

Had a 16-yard touchdown reception and netted 51 yards on 12 carries at USC (Nov. 4)

Career-high 153 yards with a pair of rushing touchdowns, including a 79-yard score, in upset of No. 15 Washington State (Oct. 28)

44 yards on four carries, 30-yard touchdown vs. California (Oct. 21)

Tallied 64 rushing yards on 16 carries in victory over UCLA (Oct. 14)

2016 Freshman Season

Totaled 261 yards and two scores on 38 carries

Carried 18 times for 168 yards and a touchdown, with a season-long run of 61 yards.

168 yards ranked eighth-most by a freshman in UA history

RB D'Andre Swift (Georgia) - 5’9, 215

2017 Freshman Season

One of Georgia's three offensive Newcomers of the Year

Dawgs' third-leading rusher with 597 yards and its fourth-leading receiver with 15 catches for 146 yards

Top rusher twice: vs. Missouri and again in the SEC Championship Game vs. Auburn

Had a 64-yard TD dash early in the 4th quarter of said SEC Championship

94 rushing yards vs. Missouri with a long-rush of 71 yards

10 rush attempts vs. Mississippi State

3 receptions vs. App State

84 receiving yards on three catches vs. Florida, including a 39-yarder that set up Georgia's first TD

Credited with a special teams stop when he tackled the Missouri punter for an 18-yard loss after a mishandled snap

Recipient of the IV Chandler Football Scholarship

​RB Adrian Killins Jr. (UCF) - 5’8, 159

2017 Sophomore Season

Named First Team All-Conference by The American

Started in 12 games and appeared in all 13 at running back

Ran for 790 yards and 10 touchdowns on 122 carries, all team highs

Caught 25 passes for 169 yards and had one score through the air

Averaged 6.47 yards per rush, which set a UCF single-season record

Also had 79.5 all-purpose yards per game and 60.8 yards of total offense per game

Topped 100 yards rushing in three games

Recorded eight plays of 20+ yards, including four touchdowns

Carried the ball seven times for 46 yards and a touchdown against Maryland (9/23)

Against Memphis (9/30), Killins set the UCF and American Athletic Conference record for longest play from scrimmage with a 96-yard touchdown run, finished with 115 yards on nine carries and snagged five passes for 64 yards and a score

Named The American Offensive Player of the Week

2016 Freshman Season

Rushed 50 times and was third on the team with 325 rushing yards

Had a team best 6.5 yards per carry average and ran for four touchdowns

Also caught 18 passes for 198 yards receiving and two touchdowns

Was the team’s leading kick returner with 18 returns for 451 yards on the season

Averaged 25.1 yards per kick return, which ranked 22nd in the nation, and had one 100-yard touchdown return

Led Knights with 974 all-purpose yards

Had the two longest plays of the year with a 100-yard kick return and an 87-yard rush

Totaled five plays of 50 yards or more and 18 plays of 20+ yards

CB Avery Williams (Boise State) - 5'9, 197

Mountain West 50 Best Football Players & Preseason Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year (2018)2017 RS Freshman Season

All-Mountain West Second Team (2017)

Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 16, 2017)

Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 4, 2017)

Led the Mountain West in punt return average (11.2 ypr) and punt-return touchdowns (two)

Averaged 24.7 yards per kickoff return with a long of 48

Made 45 tackles (36 solo) with two interceptions and eight pass breakups

In his collegiate debut against Troy (Sept. 2), returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown, and averaged 24.8 yards per punt return (5-124)

Returned a punt 29 yards to set up a touchdown drive, and made a solo tackle on defense against New Mexico (Sept. 14)

Scored his second touchdown of the season via punt return, taking one 53 yards to the house at San Diego State, while also recording six solo tackles and breaking up a pass on defense (Oct. 14)​